Buffer gas

A buffer gas is an inert or nonflammable gas. In the Earth's atmosphere, nitrogen acts as a buffer gas. A buffer gas adds pressure to a system and controls the speed of combustion with any oxygen present. Any inert gas such as helium, neon, or argon will serve as a buffer gas.

A buffer gas usually consists of atomically inert gases such as helium,[1][2] argon, or nitrogen.[3] Krypton, neon, and xenon are also used, primarily for lighting.[citation needed] In most scenarios, buffer gases are used in conjunction with other molecules for the main purpose of causing collisions with the other co-existing molecules.

Buffer gases are commonly used in many applications from high pressure discharge lamps to reduce line width of microwave transitions in alkali atoms.

  1. ^ deCarvalho, R.; Doyle, J.M.; Friedrich, B.; Guillet, T.; Kim, J.; Patterson, D.; Weinstein, J.D. (1999). "Buffer-gas loaded magnetic traps for atoms and molecules: A primer". The European Physical Journal D. 7 (3): 289. Bibcode:1999EPJD....7..289D. doi:10.1007/s100530050572.
  2. ^ Hiramoto, Ayami; Baba, Masaaki; Enomoto, Katsunari; Iwakuni, Kana; Kuma, Susumu; Takahashi, Yuiki; Tobaru, Reo; Miyamoto, Yuki (2023-04-13). "Measurement of Doppler effects in a cryogenic buffer-gas cell". Physical Review A. 107 (4): 043114. arXiv:2211.09015. Bibcode:2023PhRvA.107d3114H. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.107.043114. ISSN 2469-9926.
  3. ^ Parrish, Clyde F.; Lueck, Dale E.; Jennings, Paul A.; Callahan, Richard A. (2001). "Buffer Gas Acquisition and Storage" (PDF). NASA.